Curiosity in science and business
Curiosity has become a popular subject in academic research. Francesca Gino, a professor at Harvard Business School, spent years studying what curiosity actually does inside organisations.
Her conclusion: leaders should hire people for their curiosity, model it themselves, put learning goals front and centre, give employees the space to explore and broaden their interests, and introduce dedicated 'Why?', 'What if…?' and 'How might we…?' days. Doing so, she argues, helps organisations adapt to uncertain market conditions and external pressures – and drives business success.*
Organisational psychologist Carl Naughton also has curiosity firmly in his sights. In his current talks and keynotes, he draws on the Curiosity Report – a study to which Naughton contributed as a member of the Merck Curiosity Council (see IAP Impuls 2026), commissioned by the pharmaceutical company Merck and focused on their own organisation. Published in 2020, the report reveals a clear pattern: the higher someone's position in the hierarchy, the greater their curiosity potential. That said, the highest scores of all were recorded among project managers – people who are constantly moving between new subjects and challenges. Does age play a role? According to the report, it does: curiosity peaks among 35- to 45-year-olds. Those under 25 scored lower, which the report puts down to limited experience and the pressures of settling into a new working environment. Among those aged 55 and over, appetite for engaging with new topics and ideas also appears to tail off to some degree.
Merck's leadership believes that in a fast-moving business environment, innovation is a critical driver of progress. Fostering curiosity within the organisation, they argue, creates a culture in which engaged teams can thrive and innovate.
Curiosity in the brain
How does curiosity actually work inside us? Barbara Studer, a neuroscientist at the University of Bern, explains the connections in a recent interview. When we are curious, dopamine levels rise – and with them, our capacity to learn. The brain becomes more receptive to new information, retains it more deeply and forms stronger connections. Curiosity also promotes cognitive flexibility, which is a key resource in times of transformation. Particularly striking is this: the effect has no expiry date. Curiosity keeps the brain agile and helps counter cognitive decline. For older employees, it is therefore not a luxury but a genuine booster for neuroplasticity and performance. Asking questions keeps you young – in mind as much as in your career.
Studer points out that curiosity is both context-dependent and trainable. It flourishes where questions are rewarded – through interdisciplinary teams, open learning formats, or simply the willingness to take small risks. 'Curiosity doesn't need talent,' she says. 'It needs the right conditions.'
Curiosity and AI
In a world of work where AI delivers knowledge at the touch of a button, the value of the human contribution is shifting anyway: away from simply providing answers, towards asking better questions.
AI expert Roger Oberholzer puts it plainly: judgement and instinct are becoming ever more important, and what matters above all is the ability to stay agile and continuously reinvent oneself. Both qualities – sound judgement and adaptability – share the same root: curiosity. Perhaps that is the real lesson for the years ahead. It is not those with the most answers who will go furthest, but those who ask the better questions and have the courage to stay curious.
